Lifting his head again, his eyes were a shade greener, a happiness radiating from him as he smiled.
“This is going to be the best Christmas ever.” He rained kisses along her face. “No matter where we spend it.”
“We’ll figure it all out.” She wasn’t worried about the future. She had a job she could do anywhere in the world as long as she could find a sewing machine. “But right now, I think we owe it to the bride and groom to put in an appearance at the reception.”
“You realize what I want most is to steal you away and kiss you until it’s time to catch that flight to Austria?”
A thrill shot through her at the idea.
“How long will you stay there?” she asked, thinking they could at least work out a plan for the next month or two. “I want to be with you for Christmas.”
“The meet ends in two days. I missed most of it this week.” He brushed her hair away from her eyes and she smoothed his tie. “I’ll be back to give you the happiest holiday you can imagine.”
Noise from the reception—a deejay welcoming guests—sounded a few rooms away, a call to join the party.
“Hmm.” She tipped her head to his shoulder as they walked slowly toward the doors, heading toward the reception. “I can be very imaginative. Are you sure you want to make wild promises like that?”
“When it comes to Christmas, I’m sort of an expert after growing up in this crazy, holiday-themed town.”
“Really?” She threaded her fingers through his on his good hand. “It sounds like the perfect childhood,” she teased.
“It was definitely fun.” He squeezed her hand and picked it up to kiss the backs of her knuckles. “But it wasn’t until I met a beautiful girl who could sing like an angel that things really started to get interesting.”
She could listen to him talk for days on end. Years, even. His voice made her smile and her toes curl. Struck by how very much love she felt for him, she paused in the hotel lobby, just outside the wedding reception already filled with guests. There were friends and family who would embrace them warmly, despite the rocky start to the day. No matter what her parents might have done, Emma Harris was an ally.
In his own way, she guessed, Luke would be too. And if Scott Malek could be believed, he was trying to move Yuletide toward positive change. New revenue streams to fix the carousel. A more altruistic spirit of good works and holiday spirit. Rachel thought maybe she could help make sure that happened. Make sure her father’s good intentions overshadowed his later mistakes. She wasn’t going to let an obstacle or two stand in her way.
Inside, champagne corks popped and bursts of laughter punctuated a hundred different conversations all going on at once.
“This is just the beginning for us,” she told Gavin, looking forward to making him happy. “It’s all going to get better from here.”
“Then let’s start our story the right way.” He turned her to face him and pointed overhead.
“Mistletoe.” Anticipation fired through her. Happiness made her feel light enough to float.
“You’re sure you’re not allergic?” He lowered his voice for her ears only.
She didn’t bother answering. Instead, she took advantage of the mistletoe overhead and rose up on her toes, pressing her lips to his.
Epilogue
One week later
“I feel a little guilty not being out there with the whole rest of the town,” Rachel admitted, staring out onto the village square from Gavin’s house overlooking Main Street.
Noontime on Christmas Day in Yuletide was the quietest time in the whole year. Tourists visited to get into the holiday spirit on other days. But on Christmas Day, the town belonged solely to the residents to celebrate in their own way.
By noontime, morning church services were letting out. Presents had been opened. Kids were trying out new sleds and building snowmen, enjoying some fresh air before the big family dinners began. But here, in front of a fire in the Jingle Elf house, Rachel didn’t want to leave the aftermath of gifts under Gavin’s small tree. They’d joined Rachel’s mother that morning to open gifts in the Chambers’ home, where Rachel had received a stack of new holiday-themed clothes from her mom to commemorate her return to Yuletide as a soon-to-be permanent resident.
Rachel lounged in her favorite pair of silk pajama pants decorated with abominable snowmen that reminded her of the crazy karaoke party where Mr. Garrett had greeted them in his cotton-ball-covered costume.
Gavin joined her at the window, one arm sliding around her waist as he rested his chin on the top of her head to stare outside with her. “It always amazed me that the locals could find so much Christmas cheer even after preparing for this day three hundred and sixty-four days a year.”
“And now, we’ll be as holiday-obsessed as everyone else.” She shifted in his arms so she could peer up at him, careful not to bump his sprained wrist since he’d stopped wearing the splint.
He’d flown to Austria, then straight to Park City for some more training with his team before returning to Yuletide on Christmas Eve morning. But they’d spoken every day since then, making plans for a future where Rachel started work on the Jingle Elf cottage while Gavin focused on preparing for the Olympic Games. She was actually really excited to take a break from her design work for a few months, to recharge and put her skills to work in another area completely.
She was also looking forward to honoring her father through her first real contribution to Yuletide as an adult. She’d returned to town to make peace with her ex-boyfriend and with the residents, not realizing how much fulfillment she would gain in making peace with her memories of her father.
“If you get tired of life in Yuletide, we can hire help to manage this place while we explore other areas. Spend a few months out West. Anywhere you want.” Gavin smoothed a hand over her hair with his uninjured hand, kissing her temple.
“I’m not going to get tired of it. I forgot how much I missed it. Not just the place, but the people too.” She was anxious for Kiersten to get home from her honeymoon in Barbados so they could spend more time together.
And Rachel had already been hanging out with Emma, who was turning into one of Rachel’s best local champions. Emma had also taken an interest in the charity Gavin worked with, and she was looking to start a chapter in Yuletide to help kids find more fun and healthy exercise outlets.
Gavin drew her away from the window and back into the living room where they’d retreated once Rachel’s mom joined her friends in the town square to visit, take a walk around the empty sidewalks and enjoy the atmosphere.
They dropped onto the leather sofa in front of the fireplace. Well, Gavin took the sofa seat. Rachel climbed in his lap and laid her head on his chest. He wore a lightweight thermal Henley with the name of some faraway ski town on it. She toyed with the buttons on the placket, thinking how very lucky she was to have him back in her life.